This MBRS SCORE proposal from Alabama State University contains four research projects in the broad disciplines of plant biology/chemistry, environmental toxicology, microbiology, physical chemistry, and sensory physiology, respectively. The first project will determine the stability of sequestered chemicals in soil under the influence of changing biological and environmental factors. The second project deals with elucidating the immunochemical structure of OmpA, (a major heat-modifiable protein in Gram-negative bacteria), evaluating the protective abilities of anti-OmpA monoclonal antibodies, and identifying dominant OmpA epitopes that are primary targets for immune recognition by the host during infection with Salmonella typhimurium. The third project will determine the relative isomer stability of molecular clusters. This project is designed to solve the problem of the energy ordering of the C20 isomers, and will be later extended to large carbon clusters and to other cluster materials. The fourth project will study the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in the mammalian vomeronasal organ, a chemosensory organ that mediates the perception of pheromones affecting reproductive behavior and physiology. The overall goal of the MBRS-SCORE Program at Alabama State University is to enhance the biomedical research capability of the institution, and to provide expanded opportunities for minorities in biomedical research.